Fast + Epp July 10, 2014 Canadian Wood Council Etienne Lalonde, Vice President Market Development & Wood Works! National Director 99 Bank Street, Suite 400 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6B9 Canada Dear Etienne BENCHMARKING MASS TIMBER, STRUCTURAL STEEL and REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING SOLUTIONS, FINAL REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) project located in Vancouver, BC is a 123,460 ft2 (GFA) hybrid mass timber - steel office building approved for construction through the ‘Alternative Solution’ provision allowed within the Canadian Building Code. The projects ‘as built’ design and costs were used as a basis for the benchmarking cost comparison. The MEC project team including, Fast&Epp, Proscenium Architect, LMDG Code Consultants, Ventana Construction Corporation and Seagate Consulting Ltd, initially evaluated the building design and cost parameters then re-worked a number of project variables to create four similar hypothetical buildings. The four hypothetical buildings and building systems considered were: A mass timber system - incorporating glulam post and beam structural elements, nail laminated lumber panels using commodity dimensional lumber sheeted with plywood and steel buckling- restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores. A structural steel frame system - incorporating open web steel joists (OWSJ) supporting metal with concrete topping and steel buckling restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores. A structural steel system - incorporating precast concrete hollow core panels and buckling restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores. A reinforced concrete system – incorporating a two way flat plate and concrete shear walls. The new designs and specifications created by the project team were further reviewed from a secondary impact and related cost perspective and each hypothetical building was then estimated and compared at a Class ‘C’ construction cost level and then the four options were compared. The estimated costs for the four hypothetical buildings were based on ‘Spring 2014’ Vancouver construction costs from qualified Ventana Construction suppliers and trades and internal Ventana stats and figures. The estimated construction costs for the four buildings are: Hypothetical mass timber structure - $276.16 per square ft Hypothetical steel structure using OWSJ - $277.69 per square ft Hypothetical steel structure using hollow core planks - $280.68 per square ft; and Hypothetical reinforced concrete structure - $273.41 per square ft The benchmarking cost comparison and related design analysis of the four hypothetical buildings suggests that the design, specification and construction of large 4 storey commercial offices buildings utilizing mass timber products and hybrid structural steel details are viable and cost competitive when building design and specification, material selection and construction methodology is coordinated and site conditions are favourable. It’s estimated that approximately 15 equivalent foot board measure (15fbm/sqft) of glulam, lumber and plywood per gross square foot of construction is incorporated within the hypothetical wood building. Not included in the cost provided are required allowances for weather protection during construction.
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Fast + Epp
July 10, 2014
Canadian Wood Council
Etienne Lalonde,
Vice President
Market Development & Wood Works! National Director
99 Bank Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6B9
Canada
Dear Etienne
BENCHMARKING MASS TIMBER, STRUCTURAL STEEL and REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING SOLUTIONS, FINAL REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) project located in Vancouver, BC is a 123,460 ft2 (GFA) hybrid mass
timber - steel office building approved for construction through the ‘Alternative Solution’ provision allowed
within the Canadian Building Code. The projects ‘as built’ design and costs were used as a basis for the
benchmarking cost comparison.
The MEC project team including, Fast&Epp, Proscenium Architect, LMDG Code Consultants, Ventana
Construction Corporation and Seagate Consulting Ltd, initially evaluated the building design and cost
parameters then re-worked a number of project variables to create four similar hypothetical buildings.
The four hypothetical buildings and building systems considered were:
A mass timber system - incorporating glulam post and beam structural elements, nail laminated
lumber panels using commodity dimensional lumber sheeted with plywood and steel buckling-
restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores.
A structural steel frame system - incorporating open web steel joists (OWSJ) supporting metal with
concrete topping and steel buckling restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores.
A structural steel system - incorporating precast concrete hollow core panels and buckling
restrained braces (BRB’s) for shafts and cores.
A reinforced concrete system – incorporating a two way flat plate and concrete shear walls.
The new designs and specifications created by the project team were further reviewed from a secondary
impact and related cost perspective and each hypothetical building was then estimated and compared at a
Class ‘C’ construction cost level and then the four options were compared. The estimated costs for the four
hypothetical buildings were based on ‘Spring 2014’ Vancouver construction costs from qualified Ventana
Construction suppliers and trades and internal Ventana stats and figures. The estimated construction costs
for the four buildings are:
Hypothetical mass timber structure - $276.16 per square ft
Hypothetical steel structure using OWSJ - $277.69 per square ft
Hypothetical steel structure using hollow core planks - $280.68 per square ft; and
Hypothetical reinforced concrete structure - $273.41 per square ft
The benchmarking cost comparison and related design analysis of the four hypothetical buildings suggests
that the design, specification and construction of large 4 storey commercial offices buildings utilizing mass
timber products and hybrid structural steel details are viable and cost competitive when building design and
specification, material selection and construction methodology is coordinated and site conditions are
favourable.
It’s estimated that approximately 15 equivalent foot board measure (15fbm/sqft) of glulam, lumber and
plywood per gross square foot of construction is incorporated within the hypothetical wood building.
Not included in the cost provided are required allowances for weather protection during construction.
Benchmarking Mass Timber, Structural Steel and Reinforced Concrete Building Solutions
2 Project Team ................................................................................................................................................. 5
5.2.1 Building Comparison ..................................................................................................................... 19 5.2.2 Hypothetical Wood Building .......................................................................................................... 20 5.2.3 Hypothetical Steel Building with Open Web Steel Joists .............................................................. 21 5.2.4 Hypothetical Steel Building with Hollow Core Panels ................................................................... 22 5.2.5 Hypothetical Reinforced Concrete Building .................................................................................. 23
5.3 Cost Categories ................................................................................................................................. 24 5.3.1 General ........................................................................................................................................... 24 5.3.2 Cost of Foundation ........................................................................................................................ 24 5.3.3 Cost of Superstructure ................................................................................................................... 25 5.3.4 Cost of Envelope ........................................................................................................................... 25 5.3.5 Cost of Mechanical & Electrical ..................................................................................................... 26 5.3.6 Cost of Interiors & Finishes ............................................................................................................ 26 5.3.7 Cost of Landscaping ..................................................................................................................... 27 5.3.8 Soft Cost ........................................................................................................................................ 27 5.3.9 Rest ................................................................................................................................................ 27
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5.4 Secondary Impacts ............................................................................................................................ 28 5.4.1 Speed of Construction ................................................................................................................... 28 5.4.2 Ceilings & Drywall .......................................................................................................................... 30 5.4.3 Fire Protection ................................................................................................................................ 31 5.4.4 Insurance ....................................................................................................................................... 32
5.5 Detailed Breakdown Mass Timber used in Hypothetical Wood Building ......................................... 33
Hypothetical Concrete Building $ 33,755,500 $273 -
In general, the total costs for the four hypothetical buildings are comparable. The total building cost is the
highest for the hypothetical steel building using hollow core panels and the lowest for the hypothetical
concrete building. The difference between the two is 2.5% only. The hypothetical steel building using OWSJ
and the hypothetical wood building have a marginally higher cost than the hypothetical reinforced concrete
building.
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5.2.2 Hypothetical Wood Building
The cost summary of Hypothetical Wood Building is shown in Table 2:
Table 2: Cost Category Hypothetical Wood Building
Cost Category Cost4 %
Foundation $2,962,656 9%
Superstructure5 $5,474,570 16%
Envelope $5,756,617 17%
M&E $9,836,890 29%
Interiors & Finishes $4,762,607 14%
Landscaping $1,412,930 4%
Soft Cost $2,528,941 7%
Rest $1,359,064 4%
Total $34,094,274 100%
Figure 11 shows relative cost distribution for the given cost categories:
Figure 11: Cost Distribution Hypothetical Wood Building
4 Rounded Values
5 This cost for the hypothetical wood superstructure represents not only the mass timber scope, but also the Masonry, Structural Steel and other Structural
Framing required.
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5.2.3 Hypothetical Steel Building with Open Web Steel Joists
The cost summary of the Structural Steel Framing with Open Web Steel Joists is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Cost Category Hypothetical Structural Steel Building with Open Web Steel Joists
Cost Category Cost6 %
Foundation $3,161,118 9%
Superstructure $4,311,565 13%
Envelope $5,756,617 17%
M&E $9,926,890 29%
Interiors & Finishes $5,685,457 17%
Landscaping $1,412,930 4%
Soft Cost $2,670,841 8%
Rest $1,359,064 4%
Total $34,284,482 100%
Figure 12 shows the relative cost distribution for the given cost categories:
Figure 12: Cost Distribution Hypothetical Structural Steel Building with Open Web Steel Joists
6 Rounded Values
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5.2.4 Hypothetical Steel Building with Hollow Core Panels
The cost summary of the Hypothetical Structural Steel Building with Hollow Core Panels is shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Cost Category Hypothetical Structural Steel Building with Hollow Core Panels
Cost Category Cost7 %
Foundation $3,161,118 9%
Superstructure $5,230,195 15%
Envelope $5,756,617 17%
M&E $9,926,890 29%
Interiors & Finishes $5,161,457 15%
Landscaping $1,412,930 4%
Soft Cost $2,645,041 8%
Rest $1,359,064 4%
Total $34,653,312 100%
Figure 13 shows the relative cost distribution for the given cost categories:
Figure 13: Cost Distribution Hypothetical Structural Steel Building with Hollow Core Panels
7 Rounded Values
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5.2.5 Hypothetical Reinforced Concrete Building
The cost summary of the Reinforced Concrete Framing is shown in Table 5:
Table 5: Cost Category Hypothetical Reinforced Concrete Building
Cost Category Cost8 %
Foundation $3,404,654 10%
Superstructure $4,189,351 12%
Envelope $5,756,617 17%
M&E $9,926,890 29%
Interiors & Finishes $5,087,607 15%
Landscaping $1,412,930 4%
Soft Cost $2,619,241 8%
Rest $1,359,064 4%
Total $33,756,352 100%
Figure 14 shows the relative cost distribution for the given cost categories:
Figure 14: Cost Distribution Hypothetical Reinforced Concrete Building
8 Rounded Values
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5.3 COST CATEGORIES
5.3.1 General
The cost categories shown are as identified under 5.1. If a category shows different costs for the different
buildings considered, either primary and/or secondary impacts are the reason. Primary impacts are defined
by the change in cost of structure itself, depending on which structural system is considered. Secondary
impacts are defined as cost items (other than the structure itself) significantly impacted if the main structural
system is changed. These are discussed in 5.4.
5.3.2 Cost of Foundation
Items of work included in the foundation cost are bulk & detailed excavation and all related concrete work.
Figure 15: Cost of Foundation
The cost for the foundations is the highest for the reinforced concrete options. It is shown, that the cost of
foundation increases with the increased weight of the structural framing. This is especially true with the given
poor soils conditions. On another site with better soils, it can be anticipated that the difference would only be
marginal.
In this category, no secondary impacts were identified.
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5.3.3 Cost of Superstructure
Items of work included in the cost of superstructure are all structural items required, such as mass timber
framing, structural steel, concrete including formwork and reinforcing, masonry as well as speed of
construction.
Figure 16: Cost of Superstructure
The cost for the superstructure is the highest for the hypothetical wood building. The reinforced concrete
option is the least expensive with the structural steel framing using open web steel joist (OWSJ) only
marginally more expensive. The structural steel framing using hollow core panels is approximately 21% more
expensive than the option using OWSJ, but 5% less expensive than the hypothetical wood building. The
difference between the lowest and highest cost is 23%.
In this category, the schedule/speed of construction was identified as a secondary impact. See 5.4 for
details.
5.3.4 Cost of Envelope
Items of work included in the cost of envelope are all items required, such as roofing, wall framing, glazing,
water proofing etc.
The cost for the envelope of $5,739,225 is the same amount for all four buildings considered. The costing
shows, that the SIP system used is cost neutral compared to a steel stud assembly of equal thermal
performance (option #1). If an industry standard system is used (option #2), cost savings of $80,000 could
be achieved. This is for the framing of the envelope only and does not include anticipated higher cost for the
mechanical systems associated with the lower thermal performance of option #2.
In this category, no secondary impacts were identified.
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5.3.5 Cost of Mechanical & Electrical
All items of work related to mechanical and electrical are included in this cost, including sprinklers. The total
cost for mechanical and electrical is typically $9,926,890. Cost savings of $90,000 for the hypothetical wood
building could be achieved due to easier installation of hangers (simple screws vs concrete anchors), drilling
(wood drilling vs concrete coring) and scheduling advantages such a not requiring the mechanical or
electrical trade to be on site during the installation of the structure (placing pipes & conduits in the concrete
slab etc.).
5.3.6 Cost of Interiors & Finishes
Items of work included in the cost of interiors and finishes are millwork and finish carpentry, doors and
hardware, drywall ceilings, painting, floors including access floor, interior windows and shades and spray
fireproofing. For the comparison, it was assumed that the detailing of interior finishes has to match the
quality and performance of the exposed wood elements.
Figure 17: Cost of Interiors and Finishes
The cost for the interiors and finishes is the highest for the structural steel framing using OWSJ. The
Hypothetical Wood Building is the least expensive. The reinforced concrete option and the steel building
using precast floor panels are in between and almost equal in cost
In this category, the requirement for ceilings / drywall and fire proofing were identified as a secondary
impact. See 5.4 for details.
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5.3.7 Cost of Landscaping
All items of work related to landscaping are included in this cost.
The cost for landscaping of $1,412,930 is the same amount for all four buildings considered.
In this category, no secondary impacts were identified.
5.3.8 Soft Cost
Items of work included in the soft cost are fees, general conditions, project management and insurance
(Course of Construction and wrap up).
Figure 18: Soft Cost
The soft cost is the highest for the hypothetical steel building with OWSJ, with the other steel option and the
reinforced concrete building close behind it. The hypothetical wood building is the least expensive.
In this category, the fees, project management (speed of construction) and cost of insurance were identified
as a secondary impact. See 5.4 for details.
5.3.9 Rest
All items of work not covered in the cost categories above, such as site security, demolition, site services,
elevators etc. are included in this cost.
This cost amounts to $ $1,359,064 and is the same amount for all four buildings considered.
In this category, no secondary impacts were identified.
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5.4 SECONDARY IMPACTS
5.4.1 Speed of Construction
It is assumed that the builder will erect the mass timber structure in three vertical stages, meaning the floor
plate would be divided into three approximately equal areas. The focus would be on completing the vertical
structure to the roof in the first phase before moving on to the ground level of phase two. Based on that, the
estimated construction times for the hypothetical buildings are:
Hypothetical Wood Building: 4.5 Months
Hypothetical Steel Building w/ OWSJ: 7 ¼ Months
Hypothetical Steel Building w/ Hollow Core 6 ¾ Months
Reinforces Concrete Structure 6 ¼ Months
The time frames given above are the times required onsite to erect the various structures, not just the actual
time to erect the specific structural element.
Hypothetical Wood Building
As the mass timber structure is made up of pre-fabricated members and floor panels, it will result in a short
installation time. A well-coordinated set of shop drawings is the key to achieve that level of performance.
Hypothetical Steel Building w/ OWSJ:
As the steel structure is made up of pre-fabricated members, it would take approximately the same time as
the mass timber structure to physically erect on site. However, the additional time required to pour the
concrete toppings to all the floors needs to be added. Additional time will be required to fireproof the
underside of all of the steel structure and to clean up after the fireproof installation. In addition, additional
time is required to add a ceiling finish and the associated work to accommodate that ceiling.
Hypothetical Steel Building w/ Hollow Core
This type of structure would add a small amount of time to the steel structure w/ OWSJ system because of
the accommodation of an additional trade to install the hollow core flooring system, which will slow down the
steel erection as the steel sub-trade would be unable to install all his steel all the way up to the roof. The
steel sub-trade has to install one floor level then wait for the hollow core installation on that floor level before
he can move up to the next floor level. However, in this scenario there is no need to fireproof the underside
of the floor structure or add a drywall ceiling, which will save time in the overall construction schedule.
Reinforced Concrete Structure
The reinforced concrete structure would take longer than the hypothetical wood building because the
concrete sub-contract would require additional time to site build his first set of forms for the first third of the
floor plate. The extra time required to build the forms plus the extra time required to set the forms, place
reinforcing steel and place electrical conduits on each level as you move the building would increase the
time to complete this structural phase of work by approximately one and a quarter months compared to the
Hypothetical Wood Building.
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The figure below shows the estimated additional cost related for the elongated construction time for each
building system considered. The values represent the cost occurring for a general contractor to operate the
construction site.
Figure 19: Speed of Construction
The estimated cost as shown above do not reflect other cost factors such as an earlier hand over to owner
or the impact on capital cost.
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5.4.2 Ceilings & Drywall
The different structural systems require different treatments regarding the finishes.
Figure 20: Cost of Ceilings & Drywall
The hypothetical structural steel option using open web steel joists (OWSJ) is the most expensive. The
hypothetical wood building is the least expensive. The reinforced concrete option and the steel framing using
hollow core panels are in between.
The steel option using OWSJ requires a dropped ceiling throughout to conceal the spray applied fire
proofing. Further, the columns in both steel options as well as the concrete option are assumed to require
cladding.
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5.4.3 Fire Protection
Spray-Applied Fireproofing
Both structural steel options require spray fireproofing to achieve the required fire rating. The figure below
shows the cost of fireproofing for these two options.
Figure 21: Cost of Spray Fireproofing
The difference in cost for these two options lays in the requirement for spray fireproof the floor framing using
open web steel joist, which can be omitted at the option using hollow core panels. Due to the inherent fire
resistance of concrete, the hollow core panels require fire rated caulking at the joints only.
That additional cost of $236,000 and $56,000 respectively does not occur at the hypothetical wood and
concrete structures. See also 5.4.1, Speed of Construction for the impact on schedule related to the
fireproofing of the structure.
Sprinkler
All buildings are required to have a sprinkler system since the building incorporates an interconnected floor
space. The only difference in sprinkler cost between the hypothetical buildings would come from sub-trades
being more familiar with one building systems over another. For the purpose of the study, the same cost was
assumed for all hypothetical buildings.
If there was no interconnected floor space in the building and the building does not fall under the City of
Vancouver Building By-Law (i.e. the building is located outside of the City of Vancouver), the steel and
concrete (non-combustible) buildings could be permitted without a sprinkler system, provided the roof
assemblies are required to have a 1-hour fire-resistance rating. This would represent a cost advantage over
the hypothetical wood building for the non-combustible structures. Note, the cost saving in eliminating the
sprinkler system is estimated to be in the order of $290,000 for the given building layout outside of the City of
Vancouver.
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5.4.4 Insurance
In the current market place, the cost for course of construction (COC) and wrap up insurance is significantly
higher for wood structures than for steel and reinforced concrete structures. The cost for insurance for a
wood structure could be significantly higher than the cost of an equivalent steel or reinforced concrete
structure. It is believed, that through negotiations and over time with a greater number of wood buildings
constructed and performing well that the cost premium could be reduced. This additional cost needs to be
accounted for on a project by project basis. Unfortunately there is no separation between traditional stick
frame and heavy timber made, even though it is proven that heavy timber structures have a different
behaviour under fire than stick frame. For the purpose of this analysis, insurance premiums have been kept
the same for each hypothetical building.
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5.5 DETAILED BREAKDOWN MASS TIMBER USED IN HYPOTHETICAL WOOD BUILDING
The cost summary of the detailed breakdown for the mass timber solution is shown in Table 6. This cost
represents the mass timber scope only and does not include the foundations, masonry, structural steel,
concrete toppings etc. The cost includes both material and labour.
Table 6: Cost Breakdown Mass Timber used in Hypothetical Wood Building
Cost Category Cost9 %
Columns $430,000 11%
Beams $630,000 16%
Floor Panels $1,176,000 31%
Floor Sheathing $200,200 5%
Wall Framing $192,000 5%
Misc Framing $407,000 11%
Miscellaneous $506,000 13%
Indirect Cost $290,218 8%
Total $3,831,418 100%
The total area considered is 123,460ft2, which results in 31$/ft
2 for the mass timber structure only. Figure 22
represents a relative cost distribution for the hypothetical wood building - wood superstructure only.
Figure 22: Hypothetical Wood Structure
Miscellaneous items include transportation, cranes, sundries, hoarding and clean up. The cost for the main
structural members (columns, beams, floor & wall panels) makes up 63% of the total mass timber cost. The
cost for material is approximately 68% of the total cost, where 24% go towards labour. 8% are indirect cost
such as supervision, project management and worker benefits.
9 Rounded Values
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The cost of a substantial weather protection strategy is not included in the cost provided. Further work from
all different parties involved in the construction process is required in order to try and minimize this expense.
Weather protection becomes increasingly important as timber buildings get taller and larger. It is estimated
that the cost for tenting of the entire structure would be in the order of 10% of the cost of superstructure. A
well planned strategy for weather protection can significantly reduce the related expenses and further
enhance the speed and quality of construction – especially if the structural framing is left exposed in order to
save cost on finishes.
It’s estimated that approximately 1,881,000 fbm (equivalent of lumber, glulam and plywood) would be used
to construct the hypothetical wood building. This equates to about 15 fbm per square foot GFA.
See Appendix D2 - Hypothetical Wood Building Cost Details.
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6 HYPOTHETICAL WOOD BUILDING – ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
6.1 ALTERNATE FRAMING OPTIONS
6.1.1 Mass Timber
The hypothetical design was based Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) Panels. A possible alternative would be the
use of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). Typical panels would be seven-ply (239mm thick); nine-ply panels
(309mm thick) were required at the green roof. In this design, the panels would also serve as the diaphragm
for lateral loads, without an additional plywood layer, but more robust and costly than typical splices. It is
expected, that the supply cost for the NLT floor would be less than the CLT option, but the CLT system is
faster to install and could further reduce installation time and all cost associated with it.
The hypothetical design did not rely on CLT shear walls, as shear walls in general would not provide the
required flexibility for the mechanical systems and required mechanical shafts employed in the design. If CLT
walls would have been used, approximately 10 bays at 6.1 meters in each direction would have been
required. The panel thickness would need to be seven-ply (239mm thick) at the base. The upper two floors
could be five-ply (169mm thick) panels. No costing data is provided in this report for the above noted details.
6.1.2 Concrete
The use of cast in place (CIP) concrete shear walls was discussed in the hypothetical concrete structure. The
use of precast (PC) concrete shear walls in combination with mass timber floors would be another option.
The benefit of this option is in the reduced construction time required to install the walls compared to the CIP
shear wall option. The walls themselves would have the same layout as in the hypothetical CIP structure.
This option does however not provide the same ductility as the buckling-restrained braces (BRBs). Both of
these systems are prefabricated and require approximately the same lead time. No costing data is provided
in this report for the above noted details.
6.2 IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED
Based on the experience of the project team, the following items were identified as important lessons
learned from this study:
1. Ideally the contractor and suppliers/installers are involved in the early stages of the design.
2. Weather protection strategy options during construction should be part of the design discussions.
Large, flat areas have proven to be challenging regarding rain water management during
construction. A weather protection strategy during construction is paramount.
3. Prefabrication is important to maintain an accelerated schedule. Coordination between consultants
during the design is important to allow for a smooth prefabrication process. Site-built framing can
considerably slow down the installation process.
4. The appropriate choice of the (mass) timber systems used should not only be driven by cost of the
material itself. Supplier capacity, logistics, prefabrication, installation time, connection strategies,
construction tolerances trade skill and system familiarity and acceptable / available industry
standards should be factored in as well.
5. Pre-finishing of the wood products may not be the best suited as it is difficult for areas requiring
touch ups to match the appearance of the original finish.
6. Ideally, the scaffolding rises at the same time as the timber structure to provide easy access for the
building installation team.
These lessons learned provide valuable insight and will allow project teams to address them in future
building projects with similar type of construction, further reducing the cost of such structures.
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7 CONCLUSION
This study, Benchmarking Mass Timber, Structural Steel and Reinforced Concrete Building Solutions,
concludes the first part of a suggested three part study.
The study showed the cost competitiveness of mass timber building systems compared to reinforced
concrete and structural steel options under current Vancouver market conditions. The study showed that the
total cost for all buildings systems considered is within 2.5%.
For the hypothetical wood building, the cost of foundation is the lowest and the cost of superstructure is the
highest. -15% and +30% respectively compared to the hypothetical concrete option. Secondary impacts
help to offset that additional net cost for mass timber building solutions.
In general, these secondary impacts favour the use of mass timber and help to offset the additional net cost
for mass timber building solutions. By understanding the relation between a structural framing system and
these secondary impacts, building designers can make an informed decision when considering the overall
budget of a given project.
Weather protection can be a significant part of the cost of a mass timber build structure and it becomes
increasingly important as timber buildings get taller and larger. A well planned strategy for weather
protection can significantly reduce the related expenses and further enhance the speed and quality of
construction – especially if the structural framing is left exposed in order to save cost on finishes (i.e.
exposed structural surfaces)
Cost competitiveness of mass timber building systems can be further increased with early input from general
contractors / construction managers, suppliers, timber installers and other sub-trades. That approach will
achieve a material and system compatible design that fully respects the manufacturing, assembly, logistics
and installation sequencing, therefore further reducing the total cost. This is in general true for any material,
but it’s amplified when using prefabricated elements which are typically found in mass timber systems.
It is understood, that the greatest cost efficiency can be achieved by using repetitive and simple construction
systems and details. It is also understood that buildings with a strong architectural expression will in most
cases create unique situations within the building structure. It is up to the designers involved, to find effective
and efficient solutions by using repetitive and simple construction systems and details as much as possible.
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8 NEXT STEPS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The study showed the cost competitiveness of a multi storey mass timber building systems. These building
systems still have potential to be further refined and made more efficient from a design, supply, construction
and most importantly, a cost perspective. This includes different procurement processes and the increased
use of advanced design, engineering and construction solutions commonly summarized under Building
Information Modeling (BIM).
Further, the study team is of the opinion that taller and larger building structures can safely be built using
mass timber systems similar to the one used in the Hypothetical Wood Building. Further work regarding
architectural and structural detailing, building code compliance, constructability and supply chain logistics is
required to deliver such projects in a cost efficient way and with excellence.
The study team recommends that further analysis of mass timber buildings is carried out. One focus could
be the framing itself. Comparing the different mass timber framing options will identify the most cost
competitive system. Recommendations on how to best implement that specific framing system could then
be developed to further help architects, engineers and builders.
The larger the buildings, the more important secondary impacts may become. Further work to better
understand those impacts is required. One area of interest is the dependency on the size of project and if
they are of the same magnitude for industrial and residential buildings. It is also recommended, to provide
design aids that help designers to better understand those items and their impacts in order to make an
informed decision when choosing building components used to construct a building.
The study team would be delighted to continue working with Canadian Wood Council and to provide specific
proposals for the opportunities and recommendations identified in this report.